


a familiar killer

by ninemangoes



Series: keith x lily one shot collection [3]
Category: B: The Beginning (Anime)
Genre: Boris wants beer already, Bran helps the best way he can, Eric is pissed, F/M, Fanfiction, Flashbacks, Implied Romance, Kaela is the best, Keith helps whenever needed, Killings, Lily being the awesome detective she is, Lily's ex mentioned, Lily-centered, Mario has no dialogue, Murder Mystery, Non-canon except for the fact Lily had an ex in highschool, Oneshot, Oneshot collection, Past Memories, Proud boyfriend, R.I.S team gets wasted, R.I.S team is the best, University, Zodiac signs - Freeform, bigger case unraveled, celebratory lunch, chilling morning at the beach, disappointed Lily, happy Lily thanks to the food Keith brought, mentions of Koku and Yuna, not too scary but definitely creepy, some graphic depiction of murder, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29182167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninemangoes/pseuds/ninemangoes
Summary: Old school memories clash with a case that is far too familiar to not take on. Curiosity kills the cat they say. But in Lily's case, if her curiosity doesn't soothe, she'll kill herself figuring it out.Familiar motive, random flashbacks, and a familiar face? But what does this mean? Lily is sure to find out.Lily-centered one shot: many memories with mystery hiding within(inspired from that one scene where Koku asks Lily if she knows what Canopus is and Lily mentions her ex telling her about it)TW: some parts include semi-detailed murder of bodies
Relationships: Keith Kazama Flick/Lily Hoshina
Series: keith x lily one shot collection [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033989
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	a familiar killer

_"Lily, do you know what Canopus is?"_

_"Ehhh? More talk about stars? You're such a snore, you know."_

_"You're right, it is a star. If we go further south, we'll be able to see it above the horizon. Wanna check it out?"_

_"Fine, fine. After the movies though. Gosh, you're such a nerd, Adam."_

"Lily, do you know about A.M?"

Hoshina shook her flashback away that had preoccupied her mind that day. "'A.M'? What are you talking about?"

On a Wednesday morning, at the brink of dawn, the Royal Investigation Service arrived at a crime scene near the ocean's shore. A slim, blonde woman's body parts chopped up and stuffed into a bag near the calm waves. The bag was dryer than the desert so it was assumed it did not wash up shore. It was a peculiar case in Lily's perspective but when receiving context from Keith, it sounded familiar.

"A.M: the astrological murderer or star boy. He's the culprit of this murder. He's the culprit of so many similar cases." Keith explained as he watched the duffel bag being carefully carried by Bran and Mario into the back of a company vehicle. It would be examined thoroughly later that day. "We may have not found all bodies but we do know he's killed one woman every month for nearly 5 years."

Lily stared at the beach and shivered at the morning weather. Despite the calm environment, the incident that took place was anything but relaxing to hear. "How do you know?"

"There's been a pattern. He's only ever aimed for blondes and kills a woman when their zodiac sign matches today's month and date." Before Lily could ask to explain further, he did so. "Let's say it's August 14. His victims, his prey, would be Leos. If it was February 3, he'd aim for blonde Aquarius'."

"So that's where he got his name..." Lily couldn't help but believe there was some familiarity to A.M's objective. It was on the tip of her tongue.

Boris whistled to alert Keith that they'd be heading back to the office to get the body examined as quick as possible. Keith nodded and returned to her to ask, "It makes you wonder what's his objective, huh?"

"Yeah..." Many memories began to swarm in her head as she skimmed through what she experienced in the past to find its similarity to Keith's story. But she was stumped. It was 6 a.m and Lily still felt drowsy. After a long yawn and a wide stretch of her arms, she glanced at her partner and asked, "Have there ever been leads? Do they at least know what he looks like?"

"Not one good lead." Keith then heard her stomach softly grumble. "Are you hungry or are you tired?"

She nodded in shame. "Maybe both..."

Keith softly chuckled. "Let's eat then."

________________________________________________

"Here you go." Bran slammed a box worth of all news connecting A.M onto her desk as requested by Lily. "I even asked Eric about it and he said this is all they have."

Behind the large box that Bran placed down, a thumbs up shot up in the air. "Arigatou-gozaimasu, Bran!"

"No problem!" Peeking from beyond the box, he stared at the top of Lily's head then at the paper she was writing on. She was drawing a picture of a...damn, he doesn't even know what it is. It was ugly and he wasn't going to sugarcoat it but he also definitely wouldn't admit that out loud. "Y'know, I've been meaning to ask," He waited until Lily looked up at him, "are you going to work on this case until our Christmas break?"

Lily hummed a tune she heard Koku play on the violin. "Yup! That's the plan!"

"Are...are you sure? I don't mean to be nosey but I heard from Eric you have to have some good progress to get your entire Christmas break or else it'll be cut in half. You put off all your other work to focus on this single case, right?" Bran asked, worriedly.

"Mhm. So?"

"My point is that," Brian averted his eyes away from Lily's clueless ones. "a lot of us tried to uncover this mystery and failed." In awkwardness, he continued to say, "I'm just saying this from experience and I want you to enjoy your break so you should drop this case early before you waste your time."

Lily laughed right at his face. A belly-clutching laugh as she wiped away the tears in her eyes. Bran irritatingly thought, _What is so funny?! I'm looking out for her!_ "Oh, Bran. You don't need to worry." Determination then filled her eyes. "I think I have a lead."

_______________________________________________

"It's only been an hour and you already skimmed through all the stuff regarding A.M?" In Lily's tiny red-orange car, Keith was relaxing in her passenger seat.

On the wheel was Lily who wore a purposeful look. "Yup. I skimmed some and actually read others but after I talked to Bran, I realized I didn't need those articles."

Keith shook his head in disappointment. "You made him gather all that only for it to be for nothing." But Lily gave no other response. Her eyes directed to the road she drove on busied her from glancing at her lover; but her thoughts also made her block their conversation. Keith didn't question her silence. All he did was look out the passenger window to admire the scenery of the neighborhood. The structure of the house and the inclined road gave him the impression they were going to the university in this area, XXX University. It was a strange place to go to and he thought about its importance in the A.M case but he couldn't find a definite answer. Instead of drowning himself in his thoughts, it'd be more entertaining to see what Lily is up to in the moment.

By the time Lily parked and they both exited out, Keith was met with a beautiful, radiant campus; its motto being 'to inspire & to work hard'. By the looks of it, the school must be one of the top universities in Japan. If the school had enough money to decorate their campus, they must be doing something right. When spotting the school's name displayed in the front, it reminded him of the time he snooped through Lily's records before they got together. This was the university she attended.

"Keith, come here for a second." Lily called as she rummaged through the trunk of her car. In a cardboard box, she pulled out a baseball cap and sunglasses accompanied with a baggy tee that said, 'I HEART JAPAN'. The renowned detective grimaced. "Put this on."

Keith paused before taking it. "A disguise?"

Lily giggled as she threw on black eye-shadow and applied black lipstick. Her hair was let down and she removed her brown jacket to wear a black corset around her waist. Keith stared at her in awe while contemplating whether he should convince her to leave. She was dressing up like eye-candy. Why was she so fancy to begin with?

"Exactly. Do you think this outfit alone is seducing enough?" She replied.

Keith's face dropped to an angry frown. He hated her question. "What? Hold on, what are you planning?" Quietly, he also added, "And yes it is."

Lily slammed the trunk's door shut and proceeded to grab a shoulder bag in the backseat. "Great. It's because I have to do some digging. If I seduced one of the professors, I'll be sure to find what I'm looking for."

"So what am I here for?"

Lily pointed at his pocket that held his phone and said, "Open your notes app. Here's what I want you to do..."

It surprised him that there was a built-in cafe within the campus and he was sitting on a concrete bench, sipping his cup of coffee. Conveniently, the one he would be spying that afternoon sat on one of the cafe's tables with a naturally blonde woman.

Adam Torres. His back faced Keith and lucky for Flick, him and his date were within his hearing range.

While he waited for Lily's mission to conclude, he was given the task to jot down Adam's appearance and his date as well. Lily even emphasized to jot down the date's zodiac sign if it came up in conversation. He soon realized the correlation of the case she was assigned to. At first, he believed Lily was pointing fingers at random people but listening in some more, it began to click.

Blonde woman #1 was an Aries, majored in communications, and a foreigner; she is European.

Keith believed it was coincidental that the man he was spying asked for her zodiac sign the moment they sat down. When Lily finished stealing records on Adam Torres, Keith expressed his doubt but Lily told him to have faith in her.

Lily found usefulness in her lover and begged that he assisted her and he did. Everyday when he'd visit the university, he'd wear a different disguise and Lily would either accompany him or use the little time she had to solve this case to find more information.

The day Lily listened in, Keith jotted down: 'Blonde' woman #2 was a Sagittarius who majored in Arts: Visual & Performing. The laughter and smiling gave the impression that these two would hit it off. But when she revealed she wasn't naturally blonde, Adam suddenly said he had to excuse himself to the restroom and never returned back.

When he was by himself, Adam brought his next date to the library. His notes that day read: Blonde woman #3 is a Gemini who majored in Business. Perfect face, perfect body, and she had the brains. When Keith observed his surroundings, he noted the many eyes of male students eyeing her with lust. He could only assume she was one of the popular students there and still, Adam turned her down. The fact the dates were always 10 minutes or shorter was note-worthy.

After a week of stalking, he presented what he found to Lily and she was satisfied.

In their apartment space, specifically in the living room, Keith watched his lover make a mess as she scattered papers among papers across the floor, couch, and coffee table. It was a fresh, new day and a cold morning, too. As Lily let out a huge sigh while relaxing herself on the soft cushions of their couch, Keith wrapped a blanket around her and handed her a cup of coffee. Lily kissed his cheek to express her gratitude.

"Fill me in." He stood beside her and looked down at the articles that Bran gathered up a week ago and he was glad they were being put to good use. He even recognized the notes he's been writing down printed and also records of the man Lily suspected. The lingering question in his mind was 'Why him? Why Adam Torres?'. But right now, he was interested in what Lily learned so far.

For someone who took on a case that hasn't been solved for years, she showed no severe stress; only tiredness and it was because she stayed up late last night. With a weak smile, she answered, "Gosh, where do I begin?"

Lily gathered the printed notes of Keith's and removed the previous papers in front of her. She placed it down and didn't look at it because Keith's task last week wasn't to prove to her Adam was the killer, it was to prove to Keith and the rest of the R.I.S. that it was too coincidental to not be him. "You know what you heard and saw. Every single one of his dates had blonde hair; not a single brunette or bright dyed hair. As you should know, they have to be naturally blonde. You saw how Adam immediately held a stoic face when realizing he was tricked." Lily sipped her half-finished cup. "Wasn't he way more friendly to blonde #2 than any one else when he found out she was a Sagitarrius? AND it's December 15th. Sagitarrius dates are between November 23 - December 21. But then suddenly became blank-faced when her blonde hair was fake? That means something. It's important." She looked back at her lover with a grin. "I assume you recorded his conversations?"

Keith laughed and nodded his head. "I did."

"Great, that'll back up the notes you took." Lily then flashed several pictures that she stole from one of the professors she seduced. "Now get this, I was lucky enough to find a professor that was heavily acquainted with Adam and he showed me pictures of his favorite students." She pointed at the one photo of a slim boy wearing a smile next to his freshman teacher. "Look at his duffel bag. Supposedly he played baseball in high-school and for some time in college but the teacher said he suddenly stopped. He lost all his gear and he lost interest. Wanna know when? Since two weeks ago. That's when we found it."

Keith squinted at the photo that was afar and Lily handed it to him to give him a better look. "Oh shit, that's the duffel bag from the shore."

Lily nodded her head. "Also right when Eric let me take this case, I went with Boris to the examination room and turns out there were signs of her being continuously beaten by what can be assumed is some long stick or pole."

"The baseball bat."

"Mhm. But the bag didn't show no sign it was for baseball; no glove, no ball, and no bat obviously. You can see the correlation though, can't you?" Lily grabbed a newspaper she found at the school regarding the team. "The school has their own colors and own school logo. Their duffel bag should look like this but Adam's is plain black. He wanted to hide the fact the killer came from a prestigious school. It can't be a mere coincidence." She dug through a pile of papers and found another image. "If you think I'm wrong, look at this. There was an event a few weeks back and there were a lot of photographers taking pictures and this was one of them."

Keith stared at the recent picture of Adam holding the same black, duffel bag in his left hand. "This is everything you gathered?"

"When it comes to physical evidence, yes."

Keith raised an eyebrow at her response. "Does that mean you have other reasons why it's him?"

"Yes, but that doesn't matter right now. I want to present this to Eric as soon as possible!" Lily shook his question away and stood up with confidence. "Help me grab the evidence in that pile! I need to organize all this stuff from work or Eric will be on my neck for days!"

But before Lily could sort, Keith placed his hands on her waist and whispered, "I'm proud of you."

_________________________________________________

"Holy shit, this is incredible. None of our staff has ever gotten this far. It'd be nice to have some more evidence, it's a little coincidental but this is more than we've ever gathered." Eric praised and critiqued after Lily went over what she gathered last week. "How'd you find your lead? How'd you know he attended that university?"

Again, Lily dismissed the question and answered by saying, "Does it really matter? Just tell me if this evidence is justifiable already to run an operation!"

Eric grinned and nodded in approval. "Lily Hoshina, this evidence is alright enough to run a mission to catch this guy. I give you permission to run how it should be handled. I entrust you the R.I.S team."

A meeting regarding the A.M case would happen in 10 minutes and inside the office, Keith and Eric discussed the evidence Lily found in such a short amount of time. Eric addressed his concerns. "I'm not saying she's incapable of solving a case on her own but it's questioning how good of a lead she got. Do you know how she got it?"

Keith rubbed his straining eyes before replying, "No clue. You know I asked her if she had personal reasons why it's him and she said 'yes'. But she never took the time to explain it."

Eric hummed, trying to think like Lily that moment. "Maybe the girl doesn't want to say it because she knows the reasons are too ridiculous to be true. To be honest, the evidence is coincidental but I do want to have this case off our hands already."

"I don't think that's it. She's never volunteered to take on a case before. She always stuck to what was assigned to her." Keith added.

"That's true. This is the first time she asked to take part in a specific case." Eric looked around the office that was filled with silence. "Why don't you ask her yourself why this case sticks out to her? You're lovers, aren't you?"

Keith looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Not that simple. I already know I'd waste my breath trying to. We'll learn the truth eventually."

"I guess you're right." Suddenly the office began to swarm with co-workers and Eric took that as a sign, the meeting would start any minute. He nodded his head to Keith to sign his departure and returned to the front to introduce Lily and her founded piece.

"It's as if the case was the easiest thing you've solved." Kaela smiled as she watched Lily write down notes of how she wanted the mission to be. "Also why did you avoid questions? You usually love letting people know what you accomplished?"

Lily playfully groaned. "Ughhhh, I'm just so sick of questions! Oh by the way, what if I scheduled the mission to be in two days?"

Laughter then spilled out of Kaela's lips. In a snort-like chuckle, she grabbed Lily's shoulder and laughed some more. "Seriously! You're hilarious!"

Lily awkwardly replied, "But I'm not kidding..."

Kaela paused then coughed at her recklessness. "Oh. I see. Well, did you already come up with a plan so soon?"

"Mhm! Ever since Eric handed me the case."

"Gosh, Eric is not going to like that."

"Why?"

"It's his day-off."

_"Darling, you're dazzling. Just like the sky, I can look at you all day."_

_"You always have to mention the sky, huh? How did that obsession of yours even start?"_

_"Hmm, well it's a memory I'm not fond of but just for you, my star, I will say."_

_"Thank you."_

_"In middle school, I met this high-school senior. Blonde and beautiful like the stars she'd talk about endlessly."_

_"Sounds like you right now. Wait but isn't that kind of...The age gap is a bit too..."_

_"Shush, dear. All we'd ever discuss was anything that had to do with outer space and I treasured that bond of ours. You can say we had a very special night one day. Then I found out she had slept with my entire family. Two of my older brothers, my father, my uncle, even my fucking grandpa. I came to learn that she slept with the entire student male body in her grade. She was a filthy whore."_

_"..."_

_"What a fool I was. I loved her. I wanted her all to myself while she wanted every man's cock. You know, I was so fucking pissed I wanted to kill her. I wanted to bash her brains in and feed her remains to the animals in the zoo. So not only she can be shared with men but wild beasts, too. But she moved away before I could."_

_"...you're joking, right? You didn't actually plan to kill her...right?"_

_"...of course not, dear. I just wanted to portray my anger in a dramatic sense. I hope I didn't scare you."_

_"No...no you didn't. ...Adam, can we go home?"_

_"Anything for my star."_

_______________________________________________________

"Dammit, Lily. You got an okay lead and now want us to immediately prepare for that insane plan of yours. This better give out good results or else I'm taking a chunk out of your day-offs this holiday season. And I mean it!" Two days later, Lily was able to schedule the mission exactly when she wanted thanks to Kaela's convincing. The whole R.I.S staff to be needed today was highly unnecessary. 50 people is enough. That total will help record A.M's face, their conversation, and among other things. They will also secure the area and make it private to locals, disguising the fact guns are being used. They will also ensure Lily's safety and capture A.M through any means besides death. Currently, Eric was complaining to Lily because the exact time they'd conduct their task was the time he napped and relaxed; the exact day was his day-off, too. In the car was Eric in the passenger seat, Boris on the wheel, and Lily and Keith in the backseats. Lily was dolled up today. She wore denim jeans and a tight blouse with a cardigan over. The wig is the most important factor, her attire was the least of her worries. Her wig was blonde and in low pigtails. "God, I just can't comprehend why you are so confident the man you accuse is truly A.M. If you're going to make this last minute change to everyone's schedule, at least do me a favor especially and tell me your personal reasons."

Lily groaned and threw a glare at Keith, knowing fully well he mentioned to Eric she had other reasons in mind. "You can never be convinced." She rummaged threw her purse, only a prop, to retrieve a photo of Adam Torres. Tapping the photo against Eric's shoulder, he took it and observed the man again.

"I've looked through his file and I understand what clicks to the case on the shore. But by the looks of it, he worked hard to get into this school through a scholarship and is one of the top intelligent students in his school. This accusation can ruin his life, remember that." Eric lectured but he immediately took back his words when he saw Lily almost fume through the rear mirror.

"Seriously, do you think I'd just blame some random guy?! You know me better than that, Eric!" Lily yelled from behind him. Keith softly snickered in his hand while watching his lover spat at her boss. "If you really want to know that bad, then fine! I'll tell you!" Both Eric and Keith's ears perked up in interest.

Boris had a hard time keeping up with the conversation. While he was on the wheel, he murmured, "What is going on..."

Lily stared at her lap in which sat her shoulder bag and a walkie-talkie to confirm the mission began. Her thoughts were a mess at the moment and in a span of a couple of seconds, she organized it. She was choosing where to start. "I know Adam Torres. We went to high-school and university together. Although I left university earlier than him, he still continued his studies. We are somewhat still acquainted. Most importantly, he's my high-school ex."

Lily didn't look up to see their reactions. She knew well enough they weren't entirely shocked. They must've already guessed she had a connection with him one way or another. Continuing her speech, she explained, "But then I remembered something that correlates with the A.M case. Adam was known to go around and have his fun with a girl every month. Specifically he'd date a girl based on their sign only during their zodiac sign's dates. When the next sign emerged, he broke up with them immediately. I was clueless to his method but was told about his intentions months later. I'm an Aries, born on April 14th and the day he asked me out was on March 21. He ended things on April 19th, the last day of the Aries season."

A sigh came out and she looked at Eric's eyes through the rear mirror. "When a past event like that is too similar to a murder case, anyone would assume it was him." Lily was unprofessional, yes. But she took her work seriously. "That's how I got my lead. We're still somewhat acquainted and of course I remember my school." Eric nodded his head. Lily then glanced at Keith. "There. You two satisfied with that information now?"

"Yes. Very satisfied. We are lucky to have an acquaintance of his on our team." Eric smirked at Lily. "Tell me about his athletics. What he's pro in. This man has left no evidence of being the killer of so many cases and the only way you knew it was him was from past events. He's smart as shit to clean his tracks."

His question reminded Lily of the time when Adam ended things.

_"That's it? You refuse to even give me a reason for this breakup. At least, explain that."_

_"Lily, darling, I truly have no reason to break up with a girl like you. Out of all the women I've been with, I fell in love with you. But I must continue to reach my goal even if that means we split up."_

_"What? If you really love me, you wouldn't even consider breaking up!"_

_"My star. My precious star. I'm in love with you. Which is why I'm not going to end things in the same way I did with the others. I hope we meet each other again when I've completed it. Would it be too much to ask for you to wait for me?"_

_"Like hell I would, you asshole!"_

"That actually reminds me of something, Eric." Lily paused then gaped at her own memory. "One of my classmates had told me about how suspicious Adam was because her friend had no memory of ever dating Adam. She was the girl Adam dated before me. So that can only imply-"

Keith completed her words. "He's drugged them, hypnotized them, or some shit that made them lose memory." His eyes fell upon his lover who he found absolutely stunning. "But he didn't do that to you."

Lily nodded. "Yes. No one would've known of his past deeds except for his dates. His dates are the only ones that know Adam personally. They must've learned a lot about him and he refused to have that information on their mind. It just leaves me to wonder-"

"We're here." Boris interuppted. "We're here, Lily."

Lily took a quick look at Keith and nodded his way. She picked up her walkie-talkie and commanded her team for the day, "Mission starts. I repeat the mission starts now."

__________________________________________

"My god, what a lovely lady I've set my eyes upon." A plastered smirk framed Adam's face as he glanced behind his shoulder. He always had a talent for hearing footsteps within a reasonable range. Especially beautiful ladies such as Lily herself.

The plan that afternoon was to picnic on the top of a cliff that gave a beautiful view of the ocean and the sunlight shining upon it. It was agreed that Lily would pick up drinks and blankets while Adam was in charge of the food.

Seeing Adam's slightly muscular back while carrying today's food in a thin, plastic bag reminded her of their first date.

Lily quickly paced his way to set up a blanket on a spot where the cliff had green, healthy grass. Other than that, the cliff was mostly of dirt and dead grass. But before she did, she commented, "And what a guy you are." The response can either be regarded as insulting or kind.

His snickering rang in her ears. "Why thank you, sweetheart." He took it optimistically.

In a few minutes, the two of them sat either on their knees or cross-legged. Adam bought snacks and pastries. A few bags of chips and two slices of cake accompanied with two homemade sandwiches. He didn't even take one look at the food since he arrived there. Lily was the one to set up everything. Instead, he was busy staring away at the sky. For a second, Lily was worried he would recall a few memories.

Adam finally picked up a slice of cake, stabbed it with a plastic fork, and pointed it towards the detective, but of course he wouldn't know that. "Try this cake, darling. I know you'll love it."

Her paranoia kicked in and the thought of the cake being poisoned popped up. She immediately declined. "Ah, I'm ok. I'll have a drink for now." When taking a good look at the slice, she realized it was strawberry shortcake. One of the cake flavors she enjoyed. Her heart was struck with nervousness as it began to beat faster every minute. To calm herself, she started a conversation; carefully noting his gaze always still locked at the sky. "We should get to know each other. What are your hobbies?"

Adam picked up a can of cola and took several sips before replying, "Small talk is so boring, don't you think?" He paused for a couple of moments. "Let's talk about goals."

"'Goals'?" Lily questioned.

"You heard me, darling." His left hand slowly crept to her right hand in which her wrist displayed a pearl bracelet. "What is it that you want to achieve? What is your reason you continue living? Let's discuss that."

Hoshina briefly glanced at the silver jewelry wrapped around his ring finger. "Well, Mr. Torres, there are many things I'd like to achieve and it adds on to the reason I stay alive today." Despite being beside a serial killer, Lily was relaxed and talked freely. "No matter how small that achievement may be. I'd like to achieve eating every single dish on this planet, thus I'll keep on living. I'd like to help people in need, thus the life still running inside me. I'd like to spend infinite time with the ones I love, thus the reason I'm still here. Should I go on some more?" But that was her mistake.

"That's not necessary. It seems we think the same." As Lily talked, he held the cola can for some time before crushing it and tossing it in the 'trash' bag. "I'm glad I confirmed it. Lily Hoshina, how have you been all these years? Though I have to say, you are the one person I would prefer with black hair _and_ find attractive."

Out of impulse, Lily took the glock hidden in her purse and directed it straight to Adam's head. But that didn't affect the man in front of her. It only made him grin.

It was insane to comfortably chuckle while his life could flash before his eyes. It only made Lily assume he's been in these situations before. It nerved her. What would he do now that she revealed her weapon? What horrific stunts would he pull?

"Now no need to fret, my star." Adam had his hands in the air but only to mock her. "I don't plan on hurting you. Plus do you really think I'd forget your face?" The R.I.S label on the weapon caught his attention. "Wow. Royal Investigation Service. I would've never guessed you'd become a detective. If I knew beforehand, I would've drugged you just the same as the other girls. My miscalculation is my downfall."

Lily firmly placed her pointer finger on the trigger. She wasn't messing around and she won't let him trick her. Right now, she had the upper hand. Such an opportunity can't be wasted. "Tell me, Adam. What is your goal? What was your goal back then? What is the point of your actions?"

Adam still didn't loose his composure. He replied as if they were sitting in a coffee shop and having a normal date. "If I refuse to give an answer, will you shoot my brains out?" Her determination painted too obviously on her face answered plenty. "Very well then. If you so desperately want to know, I'll give you the satisfaction."

Lily scowled. "Get to the point already."

Adam put his hands down and began to clean his pockets of the weapons he also concealed. He took out knives, different hand guns, and drugs. His story-telling began when he stood up and got closer to the edge. "Back then, my only goal was to continue dating among my grade. Their zodiac signs matching the month and date. But when we graduated high-school, I soon realized it was too simple, too plain, too _boring_. My next goal was to find her, explains why I had to attend university for several more years after you. The fucking blonde slut that I thought was the love of my life; I would find her again. After finally bashing her brains in and ripping her limb by limb, the anger inside of me hardly soothe. I needed more. Killing was too interesting to give up. Thus my next goal. The mix of two past goals turning into one. No one has succeeded in finding the culprit of mysterious killings the past 5 years; except for you. But Lily, you are too late. I've completed my goal. I have no more reason to kill any more. 5 years of killing. Why 5, you ask? That is the month of the whore's birthday.

Now let me say this. Goals, achievements is what defines one's life. But I have nothing else to achieve. I've successfully done what I needed. _I have no more reason to live_." Adam picked up the sharp knife hidden in his coat and hovered it over his heart. "Because you are such a competent person, I will let you watch me die." Right after, he wasted no time in piercing through his skin. But Lily was far too quick for that to happen.

Surprising herself with her accuracy, he shot the knife out of his hand and quickly kicked away any other accessible weapons near him. Lily made sure the weapons were behind her so Adam wouldn't be able to retrieve them. "You sick bastard. You deserve to fucking die. But instead of taking the easy way out, you deserve to suffer in endless punishment."

Adam had to snicker. "It was a fib, my star. Of course, I won't throw my life away. I have so many other goals, too. However, it can't be completed in Japan."

Lily purposely shot near his foot to frighten him but he didn't even flinch. "You are going no where, Adam Torres. Put your hands up now!"

"Oh please. You think I'll let you catch me while I've been on the run for so long? Hell, they didn't even catch my face or had any good enough leads. You were only lucky, Lily. You won't ever in prison me even if it's by an intelligent, beautiful star." He stood right at the very edge of the cliff, spread his arms wide, and fell.

There were no signs of a parachute attached to him but Lily predicted that move from the beginning when she chose their date spot. Keith, Boris, Mario, Bran, Eric and many of her coworkers were down there. Hiding until they'd see A.M falling to the ground to reveal themselves.

But Adam's falling body was caught by an older boy. An older boy of gray wings in which he carried Adam away across the ocean blue. All of the R.I.S stood there in disbelief. Keith wondered if they were like Koku and Yuna.

The R.I.S only expected that they'd surround Adam once he miraculously lands safely on the ground and by all means capture him. They relied on the darts that would leave Adam's body numb. Although they were well aware of his talent in escaping, how would they have known he'd escape in such an unbelievable manner? Who would guess a flying boy would be his exit ticket out of there?!

"Shit!" Keith cursed as he watched Adam stick his middle finger towards the group. With a frustrated look, he looked over to their best sniper on the R.I.S team. 

His gun propped on a large rock as his right eye scoped his target. Although Adam and his escapee distanced themselves even further, R.I.S's sniper never failed as a hit man so as he pulled the trigger, the bullet went flying. Almost as quick as sound but also being so quiet that Adam didn't even bother looking towards the source of the gunshot. With success, their sniper hit the designated target; that freakish bird boy that resembled Koku. "Fuck yeah!" Their sniper celebrated as he jumped and began punching the air. 

As soon as the R.I.S members watched the boy and Adam fall, they quickly took the speed boat hiding beneath a bridge. After all, the ocean was the only place they'd fall in. The members that wore swimming gear and a whole scuba diving suit dived into the water in search of the two bodies. Hopping in the boat was Keith, Bran, Eric and others. 

Plan A didn't work so they can only hope Plan B will. 

Lily made her way down to the hidden shore side in a panic. A gunshot rang in her ears while she was in the midst of meeting her team again. While she ran with alarm, her speech the other day flew over her head. She completely forgot Plan B consisted of sniping. So when Lily saw rarely any people on land with exception of the sniper celebrating, she felt more at ease. 

The man hired for that day who successfully shot down Adam's getaway 'driver' informed her of what occurred and Lily immediately stepped into the water to stare at the boat Keith was on. He was barely audible but it was obvious he was commanding members where to go and what to look for. 

But as she watched her coworkers work hard as they searched and searched for nearly an hour, her gut told her that this mission was a bust. Right before the two landed in the water, the R.I.S already hopped on to the speeding boat and headed their way. The ocean may be deep but it shouldn't take this long to find their bodies. One, the flying young boy was numb from the neck down. There was no way he could swim with the exception of Adam. But to escape that quick, one must be an Olympian swimmer. Adam lacked athleticism for sure. Considering these factors, Lily could only assume they have escaped quicker than anyone would expect. As the search-party continued their job, Lily scanned the surrounding premise with Boris. They didn't find a single clue and they were left stumped. 

Once they returned back to the hidden shore side, the search-party ended and Eric and Keith waited for her arrival. 

Lily wasn't entirely happy. After all, resurfaced memories from high-school forcibly came back to her and she felt obligated to contribute to this mission. It was conflicting to see Adam again. She didn't fear him nor did she adore him. But she will admit he brought her some joy and that's what irritated her. Including the fact he got away and is almost inescapable in this world. So when she saw Eric's stoic expression, Lily held her head down and was ready for a short vacation and lecture.

But she received the opposite. She was met with an overwhelming hug. Eric wrapped his arms around her like a fatherly embrace. Whispering into her ears, he told, "Great work, Lily."

Hoshina, who was startled at the words, gently pushed Eric away to stare at his face. "Huh?" Was he being serious? "But this mission was a failure. I was entrusted with his capture and he got away. I don't understand."

The members standing behind Eric snickered and so did Eric himself. Her boss shook his head to counter his subordinate's words. "Lily, a first mission doesn't ensure success. It's about what you gain from that experience. Usually the first rarely gives any useful info but Lily we learned so much because of you."

Bran also jumped the train that wanted to reassure Lily. "Yeah! You should be proud! We now know what he looks like, his history and whereabouts and another bigger piece! That Koku lookalike saving Adam! This is big, Lily! And it's all thanks to you!"

It surprised Lily the immense joy the R.I.S was feeling that moment. Their pride towards her left her feeling shy. She softly smiled at Eric and Bran. "Thanks, guys. It's just a bit disappointing to not see him imprisoned yet."

"Oh, forget that!" Boris patted Lily's shoulder to congratulate her for such a great find. The old man then clapped his hands and proudly yelled, "You know what this calls for? Celebratory drinks! Let's get wasted!!"

"You really need to stop putting yourself down." Although the partying the R.I.S conducted in a Japanese bar & restaurant was because of Lily, Hoshina distanced herself from the noise to wander in her own world. She was approached by her partner who handed her a tray carrying ramen topped with slices of chicken katsu and a plate of kaarage (fried chicken) and a mug of beer. Keith also carried his meal of the day as well. 

Lily brighten up just from the delicious smell. Her hands immediately grabbed onto a piece of kaarage in which she watered down with some beer next. With mouth-full, she answered, "I know, I know. I'm just thinking about that boy. We unraveled a case that hides another. Aren't you worried what that might bring?"

Keith let out a tired sigh. "Of course, it's concerning." Lily hid a small mic piece underneath her clothes and Keith was able to recall the conversation she had with Adam. "He indirectly told you he's leaving Japan, isn't he? Whatever his goal is, it's not here."

In between her chewing and slurping, she still kept replying to Keith's dismay. After all, she didn't really eat much with Adam. Such wasted food lying on their picnic blanket, waiting to be eaten. "But he could just be lying."

"I doubt that."

"What?"

Keith hummed as he tapped his fingers on the restaurant's sturdy tables. "It's obvious he finds comfort in you. Like he trusts you with anything. He was sincere and even joked around with you despite knowing you're a detective. He loved you; maybe even loves."

"Gross. I don't need to be reminded that a murderer loved me at one point, Keith." Lily chuckled.

"It's true though." Keith then threw a soft smile to his lover and stroked the back of her head for a moment's notice. "In the end, I'm glad you're safe."

With a shy expression on, she continued her eating and drinking. "I'm too tough, I'll never die."

Keith looked down at the several beer bottles he's already chugged and snickered. "Yeah. No matter what, you always end up alive." He leaned his back onto the chair to then say, "I pray it stays that way forever."

**Author's Note:**

> **wowww this chapter was long! 7000+ words! throughout typing it up, i was worried it'd be too boring for anyone but oh well! i'll take that risk! still, it was a fun chapter to write especially when my creativity was used plenty!**
> 
> **REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!!!**
> 
> **hope you all enjoyed! bye for now!**


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